GOA: OECD MEMBERSHIP FOR RUSSIA PREMATURE

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 001359 SIPDIS PARIS FOR USOECD E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2015 TAGS: EFIN ECON ETRD AU OECD NATO SUBJECT: GOA: OECD MEMBERSHIP FOR RUSSIA PREMATURE REF: STATE 66309 Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips For Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) During an April 22 meeting with Econ Unit Chief, Ulrike Magloth, Director of International Economic Affairs in the Chancellery, stated the GoA agreed that it was premature to discuss Russian OECD membership. The GoA position, according to Magloth, tracked closely with USG views (reftel). Magloth added that Prime Minister Schuessel had replied to Russian Prime Minister Fradkov's letter, welcoming GoR interest in OECD membership. However, Schuessel cautioned that the GoA could not support Russia's bid at the moment because of two concerns. First, Schuessel noted that the OECD was procedurally pre-occupied with internal reforms at the moment. Second, Schuessel reportedly urged the GoR to demonstrate a higher level of engagement with the OECD. Magloth strongly concurred with the USG view that Russia needed to broaden and deepen its cooperation with the OECD before the OECD member states would consider membership. Magloth opined that increased interaction would yield substantive results on the policy level, and it would also raise the status and understanding of the OECD within Russia. Brown